Book Review and ARC Giveaway -2 Copies: The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi

This is a psychological thriller that had me holding my breath!

The Whisperer

by Donato Carrisi

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Mulholland Books; 1 edition (January 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316194727
• ISBN-13: 978-0316194723

     Genre: Psychological Thriller
     My Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2012

A gripping literary thriller and smash bestseller that has taken Italy, France, Germany and the UK by storm.

Six severed arms are discovered, arranged in a mysterious circle and buried in a clearing in the woods. Five of them appear to belong to missing girls between the ages of eight and eighteen. The sixth is yet to be identified. Worse still, the girls' bodies, alive or dead, are nowhere to be found.

Lead investigators Mila Vasquez, a celebrated profiler, and Goran Gavila, an eerily prescient criminologist, dive into the case. They're confident they've got the right suspect in their sights until they discover no link between him and any of the kidnappings except the first. The evidence in the case of the second missing child points in a vastly different direction, creating more questions than it answers.

Vasquez and Gavila begin to wonder if they've been brought in to take the fall in a near-hopeless case. Is it all coincidence? Or is a copycat criminal at work? Obsessed with a case that becomes more tangled and intense as they unravel the layers of evil, Gavila and Vasquez find that their lives are increasingly in each other's hands.

THE WHISPERER, as sensational a bestseller in Europe as the Stieg Larsson novels, is that rare creation: a thought-provoking, intelligent thriller that is also utterly unputdownable.

Review: This is a very engaging thriller!
Mila is a lone outsider who profiles criminals, particularly child abductors and murderers. She has been bought in to join a local team investigating the disappearance of five girls whose arms - one per child - have been located, with nothing else. Adding to the puzzle is a sixth arm of an unidentified child. Mila has been called in because she is known for successfully finding children. That is her focus while the other members of the team search out the clues to find the killer.

Each of the team members has unique skills but they also have flaws. Goran Gavila, a loner and civilian is a renowned criminologist.  He is the fierce and determined leader of the team but sometimes he doesn’t see beyond his own suppositions and perhaps he has some distractions resulting from being the single parent after his wife left him and their son. The eldest agent is Stern, the information officer. He can piece together histories and similarities even if he is coming near to retiring. The 40ish, stocky Sarah is the logistic officer and computer expert. She is brusque, angry and resentful of Mila’s presence. The final team member is agent Klaus Boris, the interrogator who gets answers using many techniques as necessary.  He seems affable enough until rebuffed by Mila.

The kidnapper lays out a trail of the bodies with clues. If the team can decipher the clues they might be in time to find a girl still alive. The pressure is high and the tension thick as the team tries to work together despite chaffing each other. Things become even more intense as it appears the killer knows every step the team makes and is always one step ahead.

The team dubs the killer by the name of “Albert” but as they reveal one suspect they begin to question if they have found the wrong man. They dig deeper and are led to another villain; then another. The author adds a few views of the perpetrator but this becomes a path of misdirection too. Are they tied together? What is the connection?

The author reveals faces of evil while the team begins to crumble as their past and secrets are exposed. There are twists thrown in that are unexpected and wickedly macabre. This is a wonderful puzzle that kept me guessing and questioning to the end. The story presents a criminal mind that is new to me; it is scary and engrossing. If you like your mystery on the dark, psychological side, this is one not to miss!

A Quote:  "Evil generates only more evil. That has always been its chief characteristic."

Thank you to Little Brown & Co. for providing this book for review.

I have TWO ARC copies for giveaway. :-)

I will add this to my ARC, New Authors and Mystery and Suspense challenges.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: 

1. I can't really have you comment on the author's website unless you can read Italian! So instead, tell me why you would like to read this book OR tell me if you have a psychological thriller to recommend.
This is required for entry.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two more entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.)

THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* Limit one win per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on February 24, 2012.
The winners will be randomly selected from all entries and announced on February 25 with 72 hours to complete the winners form.

Happy Valentines! One-Line Humor on Marriage

I plan to post a review and giveaway a later today but until I get time to get that posted I thought you might like a chuckle or two! Our Sunday School teacher shared these great one liners on marriage and had us laughing out loud.

• Love is blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.
• There are two times a man doesn’t understand a woman, before marriage and after marriage.
• A successful husband is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.  A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
• Any married man should forget his mistakes because there is no use in two people remembering the same thing.
• Marriage is an institution where a man loses his Bachelor’s Degree and the woman gains her Masters.
• A husband said to his wife, “No, I don’t hate your relatives.  In fact, I like your mother-in-law better than I like mine.
• A little boy asked his father how much it cost to get married.  The father replied, “I don’t know, son, I’m still paying for it.”
• Don’t marry for money, you can borrow it cheaper.
• Every man should get married some time; after all, happiness is not the only thing in life.
• Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband.
• Shared by Rodney Dangerfield: My wife and I were happy for twenty years.  Then we met.
• After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, “You know, I was a fool when I married you.”  The husband replied, “Yes dear, but I was in love and didn’t notice.”
• I married Miss Right.  I just didn’t know that her first name was ‘Always.’
• Losing a wife can be a hard thing.  In my case, it was almost impossible at all.
•  Just think, if it weren’t for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults

Sunday Words of Encouragement February 12, 2012

This morning our Pastor gave a good message entitled "A Heart Problem."  He reminded us that Saul had started out following God's word but soon turned to his own power and desires. When Saul realized that the Lord was with David, Saul became afraid (and jealous) of him, and remained his enemy for the rest of his days.  1 Sam18: 28-29.

Saul had a chief shepherd, Doeg, who was an Edomite, an enemy tribe, but who had chosen to become a Jew. Doeg happened to see Ahimelech, the priest in Nob, give provisions and the sword of Goliath to David. Saul confronted the priest and then ordered his guards to kill Ahimelech and his household.  The guards refused knowing that the priest and household were innocent.  However Doeg not only slaughtered all 85 of Ahimelech's household, he proceeded to kill everyone, including women and infants, and innocent animals in the town of Nob. 1 Sam 22: 6-19.

Doeg, like Saul, had a heart problem that we must be careful to avoid.
1.  He desired power for himself.
2.  He had a lack of "awe of Heaven." Religion was a ritual and a duty, not an act of obedience and a submission.
3.  He did not internalize God's word.  All of his understanding was superficial and he did not allow God's word to reach or move his heart.

David was a man of God's heart who was attacked and pursued by Doeg, a man after Saul's heart. God did punish Doeg for his wickedness. Psalm 55:23. Doeg became leprous and died in his early thirty's - half the age of a man's life.

We must be careful who we allow to influence us. Don't lie down with pigs or dogs... don't allow other crabs to keep us down in a pot.
Pastor asked us to reflect: Who are you allowing to shape your heart?

 Here is a song that struck me as good for Valentine week:

My Offering

A Verse for Today:

Proverbs 4:23 New Living Translation

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

I pray today that my heart might be tuned to God's Will and message.
I am praying for another online follower this week.

Sharing Beyond Books #35 Comment Giveaway February 11, 2011

Welcome to another late SBB. We just had a rush trip to south Florida. DH drove so he took the brunt of it but it was still rushed.

Thank you to all those who commented last week.
The large majority of us would choose to be a millionaire in the 1800s. Only Krystal was willing to be a cavewoman for partial choice. :-)

I was surprised by how many of you don't keep lists although several said they thought it might be a good time to start. At least nine of you keep your list on Goodreads and other online group lists. That seems like a good idea.  Miki started her list at the young age of 8!

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #34 comments is: #8 Tore. There are still 8 'love' books to pick from, 3 Christmas choices and 1 Summer title below. Tore please choose a book from the remaining Love Books List for Giveaway or remaining Christmas Giveaway Books, the one summer book below OR pick from the ARC box and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #35 Questions

Q1. This week Margaret asks:  When downloading those freebies in a series do you actually buy the sequel??

A:  If I like the first in a series I will almost always end up buying the next... I do love a good series! Also, sometimes the freebee is book #2 and I have to get #1 as I don't like to start mid series.

I wanted to think of an example: I got Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater last summer as a free download from SYNC YA Listening at AudioBook Community.  I have purchased Linger and Forever on Audible since.  I hope to listen to Forever soon!

Image found at Glogster

Q2. Here is my question: Do you have special plans for Valentines or do you hope to get a special gift??

A:  We are looking forward to our church youth sponsored Valentine's dinner tomorrow night. No special gift is expected although my DH usually gets me some flowers and/or makes me a nice dinner. Chocolates are nice too but we are trying to diet so maybe not this year.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask.  Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form.  At the end of each month I will draw from the suggestions I used the month before and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions but some of you others might want to get in a question or two as we have a few people submitting most of the questions so far.  Either way - it works for me. :-)  The question list is being replenished!  Thanks for sending in questions! 

Your turn to share:

1. This week Margaret asks:  When downloading those freebies in a series do you actually buy the sequel??

2. Do you have special plans for Valentines or do you hope to get a special gift??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining  Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 12 books available plus 2 left in the Summer titles to choose from. Also I have added the Review and ARC Box now.

The Days of Summer: A Novel

My copy is a paperback from 2006

with a different cover.

 
A Summer Affair (Calhoun Chronicles)
I love Susan Wigg's historicals!

SBB Rules: a) Must be a follower; 
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10PM central.

Winners of Forever's Paranormal Two Books and The Rook

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS!

Giveaways ended February 10, 2012

Forever's Paranormal Blog Tour and Giveaway; Two Books, Three Winners!

winnie, Booklover0226 and Mara80

ARC Giveaway: The Rook

Carl

ALL WINNERS please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form so I can let the Publisher know to send the books and I can mail the other to the winners.  Please reply within 72 hours!